Death to the Feeble Masses

kamelot

It’s been a blast covering the vast expanse of styles that power metal has to offer on a monthly basis, but sadly all things must pass. As I went through each month finding amazing records I kept holding off writing about them until the end of month post, and by doing so there were times I couldn’t give some of the albums their proper turn in the spotlight. So rather than one post a month where we cover the genre my goal is to integrate power metal more fully into the coverage here at Nine Circles, allowing the bands and albums the proper room to shine on their own.

But before we do that, let’s get December out of the way with the only band to make the Power Metal Album of the Month twice in the same year: Lovebites and their new full length Clockwork Immortal. Continue reading →

Yes, that title is a Dark Souls reference, and it’s a title I would like to have some day.

Anyway, it’s that time of year where we all just want to enjoy the last vestiges of holidays before the new year begins and we all decide to make lists. Whether it is for presents, things to throw out, or just a general shopping list for Christmas, we are bound to make one.

However, here in the hallowed halls of 9C, we are making one better: It’s time for EOY list season!

2018 was an impressive year for music in general. The sheer amount of releases this year was mind-blowing – so much so that I decided to make it into a top 20. That’s right: I expanded my list because 10 ain’t gonna cut it. However, there were a lot of albums left out from this list because they weren’t being as heavily played as they were supposed to be or they came out too late for me to actually put on this list (sorry Within Temptation!). I also decided to cut EPs from this list, as they deserve their own separate thing that won’t be explored until I have some more time. Let’s get started… Continue reading →

Greetings and salutations to the power metal lovers of the world. Though our power metal guru has departed for distant golden shores, he instilled in the Nine Circles crew a love for the genre and a yearning to dive deeper into its hidden corners, determined to continue shining a light in the best this most diverse of musical styles has to offer. So each month we’ll endeavor to do our homework and feature our pick for the Power Metal Album of the Month, along with a short round of a few other notable releases. This month there was simply no contest, as Kamelot came with all guns blazing on their 12th release, The Shadow Theory. Continue reading →

It’s been a minute (awhile actually) since I got out for live music but this weekend ended that unfortunate snap and man oh man was it ever EPIC. And local to me so that was a definite plus. Can’t go into details just yet but I’m halfway through my review of it so stay tuned for that. I will say this though, do not miss the opening acts when these openers pique interest. I repeat, DO NOT MISS THEM. Enough said. New week and a new set of tunes that we collectively jammed on last week so head inside to find that play button and enjoy. Oh, don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel here so you never miss a thing. Here’s to a good week ahead, now go and enjoy! Continue reading →

New week and new month yet I’m still head over heels into last week’s new releases. So much good stuff came out, might take me weeks to get beyond it. Anyway, how was the weekend? Short you say? I agree but the weekend will be here again soon so there’s that. Huge coffee mugs in hand, we offer you another playlist of what grabbed our attention last week and it is indeed another great, eclectic bunch of tracks to make today more bearable. Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel here so you never skip a beat. Also, feel free to leave us some comments on what’s been grabbing your attention lately — we’d love to hear about it. Continue reading →